The strength of Fassi is represented in the Netherlands by De Jong
For the Fassi dealer in the Netherlands, there are two key words: “experience” and “quality”. “Experience” that De Jong IJmuiden has formed over 38 years of history with Fassi, and “quality”, when responding for years to the company’s loyal clients with care, attention and passion.
The encounter between Fassi and De Jong dates back to 1982. On the one hand was Fassi, in the midst of its international expansion, and on the other a family-run business active for years in the Netherlands in the transportation and commerce sectors. A year on from that first encounters the founding of De Jong IJmuiden, the company set up by the spouses Jan and Marianne de Jong, which was to become the official dealer for the Fassi brand throughout the Netherlands. A brand that was recently joined by Cranab and Marrel.
When was De Jong IJmuiden founded?
De Jong IJmuiden was founded in 1983 by Jan and Marianne de Jong. Jan previously worked in a family- run business operating in the transportation and commerce sectors that had been founded in 1900. Thanks to all his work in the family company, Jan had the pioneering idea to set up his own company.
How and when did the relationship with Fassi begin?
During a car show in 1982 in Brussels. I went to the show with my father and I was very much struck by Fassi cranes. That was when I first got in touch with them. Soon after, together with Franco Fassi and Luigi Porta, we discussed and set out the contract to allow us to sell Fassi cranes in the Netherlands.
What was the first crane sold in the Netherlands, and for what kind of work was it sold?
It was an F3.1 fitted to a Ford D truck. The crane was sold to the municipality of Bloemendaal, which used it for all municipal works in combination with a rear tipper bed and a gripper.
Which sectors show demand for Fassi cranes?
The most important sector for the Dutch market is building and construction. Naturally, there are a wide range of markets of particular interest for us, for example logistics, heavy transportation, the government sector, waste collection, the maritime sector and shortly also the military sector, thanks to the agreement with Fassi Gru S.p.A. and Scania Sweden for the Dutch Royal Army.
Fassi is now no longer simply a company. It is a group that has expanded its product and service range thanks to the inclusion of Cranab, Marrel, ATN and Jekko. What added value does the Fassi Group represent for you?
Thanks to the possibilities provided by the Fassi Group, we can now offer our clients a complete package. This increases opportunities for sales, allowing us to approach different markets and rendering us an even more important player in the Dutch market. In terms of the Group,
we represent the three brands Fassi, Marrel and Cranab for the Netherlands. The addition of hooklifts and cranes for waste recycling and forestry has opened a new market for us and for our organisation of dealerships, because Dutch clients prefer buying the complete unit, such as cranes or hooklifts, from a single supplier, rather than contacting diverse companies.
What are the strengths of De Jong IJmuiden?
There are many. Undoubtedly the extensive skills of the employees, excellent customer service, the significant proportion of the market conquered, the personal and long-lasting relationships formed with clients, the leadership in product innovation and the highly efficient service. Our strength lies in our knowledge of all the crane models, which allows us to plan and create personalised setups “in-house”. We are also the crane dealership that has the longest relationship with a crane manufacturer in the Netherlands.
Of the many cranes sold, is there one sale that made a particular mark?
Many of our collaborations are long-term, and it is hard to identify one particular order. We have clients such as the Royal Navy, the Royal Army, the National Police Force, the Fire Brigade, a number of government agencies and private companies both large and small, and even Royal KLM Airlines. There are also clients who have been with us since the beginning. I have to admit that I am proud of my first F10.3 crane sold and fitted to a truck. This was 38 years ago, and at the time the F10.3 crane was considered a very heavy model. Fassi was one of the few brands that had such a heavy loader crane.
Another very special project was for Royal KLM, which involved the consignment of a series of different trucks used for Schiphol airport, and for which we developed a special crane used for refuelling aircrafts. Our cranes can also be found on the Ain Dubai, the largest observation wheel in the world, which is due to open in October 2021.
